Isaiah 38

1 In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, Thus saith Jehovah: Set thy house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him, and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Set your house in order, for you will die, and not live.’”

2 And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Jehovah,

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

3 and said, Ah, Jehovah, remember, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept much.

and said, “Remember now, LORD, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 And the word of Jehovah came to Isaiah, saying,

Then the LORD’s word came to Isaiah, saying,

5 Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add to thy days fifteen years.

“Go, and tell Hezekiah, ‘The LORD, the God of David your father, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.

6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

7 And this [shall be] the sign to thee from Jehovah, that Jehovah will do this thing that he hath spoken:

This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has spoken.

8 behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees which hath gone down with the sun on the dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned on the dial ten degrees, by which it had gone down.

Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.”’” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and had recovered of his sickness:

10 I said, In the meridian of my days I shall go to the gates of Sheol: I am deprived of the rest of my years. (Sheol h7585)

I said, "In the middle of my life I go into the gates of Sheol (Sheol h7585). I am deprived of the residue of my years."

11 I said, I shall not see Jah, Jah in the land of the living. With those who dwell where all has ceased to be, I shall behold man no more.

I said, “I will not see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living. I will see man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent. I have cut off like a weaver my life. He separateth me from the thrum: — from day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

My dwelling is removed, and is carried away from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver. He will cut me off from the loom. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

13 I kept still until the morning; ...as a lion, so doth he break all my bones. From day to night thou wilt make an end of me.

I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.

14 Like a swallow [or] a crane, so did I chatter; I mourned as a dove; mine eyes failed [with looking] upward: Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

I chattered like a swallow or a crane. I moaned like a dove. My eyes weaken looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security.”

15 What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done [it]. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

What will I say? He has both spoken to me, and himself has done it. I will walk carefully all my years because of the anguish of my soul.

16 Lord, by these things [men] live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; and thou hast recovered me, and made me to live.

Lord, men live by these things; and my spirit finds life in all of them. You restore me, and cause me to live.

17 Behold, instead of peace I had bitterness upon bitterness; but thou hast in love delivered my soul from the pit of destruction; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.

18 For not Sheol shall praise thee, nor death celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit do not hope for thy truth. (Sheol h7585)

For Sheol (Sheol h7585) cannot praise you. Death cannot celebrate you. Those who go down into the pit cannot hope for your truth.

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.

20 Jehovah was [purposed] to save me. — And we will play upon my stringed instruments all the days of our life, in the house of Jehovah.

The LORD will save me. Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the LORD’s house.

21 Now Isaiah had said, Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.

Now Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a poultice on the boil, and he shall recover.”

22 And Hezekiah had said, What is the sign that I shall go up into the house of Jehovah?

Hezekiah also had said, “What is the sign that I will go up to the LORD’s house?”